Hobby horse



Feb. 25, L A. MORTENSON HOBBY HORSE Fi1ed March '16. 1961 ATTO RN EVSUnited States Patent O 3,122,377 HBBY HGRSE Harold A. Mortensen, 10636Myers Way, Seattle, Wash. Filed Mar. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 96,161 4 Claims.(Cl. 23o- 1.13)

This invention relates to a childrens amusement apparatus and moreparticularly to a mobile hobby horse.

The general object of my invention is to provide a mobile hobby horsewhich has resilient mounting feet.

A more particular object is to provide a hobby horse which can closelysimulate both the galloping motion and bucking movements of an actualhorse.

A further particular object is to provide a relatively safe mobile hobbyhorse with no sharp corners or edges to harm a child.

Yet another specific object is to provide a mobile horse which will notscnif the oor or damage the walls of a room in which the hobby horse isbeing used. These together with other more particular objects andadvantages will appear and be understood in the course of the followingdescription and claims, the invention consisting in the novelconstruction and in the adaptation and combination of parts hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a hobby horse embodying preferredteachings of my invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the mounting means of oneembodiment of my invention.

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the mounting means of a secondembodiment thereof; and

FIG. 5 is a side elevational view of the mounting means of a thirdembodiment.

Referring to FIG. l, numeral designates generally a hobby horse havingtwo front legs 11 and right and left hind legs 12 and 13 respectively.The horse is equipped with a saddle 14 to support the rider, and reins17 and a handle 18 on the upper neck 2i) which admit of beingselectively grasped by the rider. The hoofs of the front legs arepreferably joined to integrate the same in a single member 21. Thissingle member is supported by a front resilient foot 22, and the hindlegs 12 and 13 each have attached to their respective hoofs 23 and 24resilient feet 26 and 27 respectively. The two hind legs desirably reachwell to the rear in a galloping stretch andthe three hoofs 21, 23 and 24produce a substantial isoceles triangle, an imagined line between therear feet forming the base thereof. The horse, when at rest on its threeground bearings, places the body of the horse generally level with thesupporting iloor.

FIG. 3 shows one of the three similar resilient feet 21, 23, and 24, asthe case may be, of the iirst embodiment of my invention. Threaded intoa socket 31 firmly fixed in a hoof of the horse is one end of a studscrew 32 which has its opposite end threaded into a foot socket 33. Thesocket 33 is formed in a piece 29 vulcanized in the neck 30 of aninflatable ball-forming balloon 34. It will be understood that the lowerportion 37 of the ball is the only portion thereof which makes contactwith the floor and that of said contact portion has considerableresiliency with respect to the mounting portion. For inflating the ball,the ball is formed in a wall portion thereof with an opening 3S whichaccommodates the insert needle (not shown) of a conventional athleticpump. Lips 39 prolonged inwardly act by air pressure within the ball toICC normally seal the opening. The ball is composed of a plastic orrubber material which will not scui or abrade a lioor or wall.

The second embodiment of a foot shown in FIG. 4 is designated generallyby 40. As in FIG. 2 there is the hoof socket 31 with the mating stud 32and the foot socket 33 formed in the socket-piece 29. Extending downfrom the foot socket is a resilient spring `44 generally shaped as aninverted question mark. The upper or straight portion 46 of the springperforms the function of a mounting stem and is attached to the footsocket. The lower or curved shoulder portion 47 contacts the door. Thespring is coated with a plastic or rubber sheathing to prevent scuiiingor abrasion of the walls or floor.

In the third embodiment of FIG. 5, the foot incorporates a ball 50 quitesimilar to that of the first embodiment and augments compressed airpressure within the ball of a helical compression spring 5g invested bythe ball. This spring is attached at its upper end to the foot socket53, with its lower end engaging the bottom wall of the ball 54, beingstepped upon a pad 6i) which reinforces the bottom wall. In thisembodiment the air pressure within the ball need not be high and couldbe readily supplied by mouth, using a suitable removable fitting forthis purpose.

In operation the rider mounts the horse and rocks the horse forward andbackward by his own body motion. With moderate rocking the horse willoscillate back and forth in the same place. With more forceful bodymovements of the rider the horse can be made to move along the floor,forwardly, rearwardly and laterally, and can be guided with considerableaccuracy through skilled control.

It is believed that the invention will have been clearly understood fromthe foregoing detailed description of my now preferred embodiments.Changes in the details of construction Will suggest themselves and it isaccordingly my intention that no limitations be implied and that thehereto annexed claims be given the broadest interpretation to which theemployed language fairly admits.

What I claim is:

l. A hobby horse having front and back legs, only a single resilientsupport being connected to both said front legs, two resilient supportseach being connected to a respective one of said back legs, each of saidsupports having a mounting portion which is secured to its respectiveleg, each support also having a contact portion to contact a floor, thecontact portion being resiliently connected to its mounting portion,said supports being secured to the legs of the hobby horse only throughtheir respective mounting portions.

2. The device as recited in claim 1, each of said supports being aresilient inflatable ball.

3. The device as recited in claim l each of said supports being a leafspring with a protective coating over the bottom portion of the leafspring.

4. The device as recited in claim il, each of said support means being aresilient spring enclosed in an inatable ball.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,152,639 Isaacs Sept. 7, 1915 1,687,693 Pratt Oct. 16, 1928 2,884,247Johns Apr. 28, 1959

1. A HOBBY HORSE HAVING FRONT AND BACK LEGS, ONLY A SINGLE RESILIENTSUPPORT BEING CONNECTED TO BOTH SAID FRONT LEGS, TWO RESILIENT SUPPORTSEACH BEING CONNECTED TO A RESPECTIVE ONE OF SAID BACK LEGS, EACH OF SAIDSUPPORTS HAVING A MOUNTING PORTION WHICH IS SECURED TO ITS RESPECTIVELEG, EACH SUPPORT ALSO HAVING A CONTACT PORTION TO CONTACT A FLOOR, THECONTACT PORTION BEING RESILIENTLY CONNECTED TO ITS MOUNTING PORTION,SAID SUPPORTS BEING SECURED TO THE LEGS OF THE HOBBY HORSE ONLY THROUGHTHEIR RESPECTIVE MOUNTING PORTIONS.